Sooners Commit Breakdown: Nigel Smith

Oklahoma’s finally landed the commitment of the Lone Star State’s No. 4 defensive lineman, Nigel Smith. He’s been a key target for the Sooners defensive staff since their arrival 21 months ago. The On3 Industry top 100 prospect chose Oklahoma over Ohio State, Penn State, Texas A&M, and many others. So it’s time for us to take a look at just what had so many people in pursuit of Smith.

What’s on Tape for Nigel Smith

The first thing that stands out on Smith’s highlight reel – admittedly, just his junior stuff – is his positional versatility. On some plays he’s lined up over the guard while others he’s outside the tackle. Smith has the frame to live inside and enough burst to be dangerous on the perimeter.

It’ll be interesting to follow his physical development as he has the frame to slide inside with ease if that’s where his maturation takes him.

Though it’s easy to think of Smith as a pure power player, Oklahoma’s newest commitment shows some burst in pass rushing situations. It’s that easy explosion which figures to make him a danger. For a guy as powerfully put together as Smith is it’s impressive to watch him close on ball carriers and quarterbacks alike. He has surprising lateral agility and the short area explosion to close down any offensive player in his sights.

But where Smith truly excels? His ability to stalemate a blocker, get them away from his body and read a play in the backfield. Time and again you can see him stop a stampeding offensive lineman in his tracks and redirect based on where the ball is going.

As a pass rusher the Sooners pledge uses power to speed quite naturally but he’ll have to develop his hands and more ability to adapt on the fly with a wider variety of moves.

Smith has considerable tools and the ability to make plays in space as well as in tight quarters. But as he continues to develop his frame there’s still so much room for development in his play.

Sooners Commit Comparison

Oklahoma’s new defensive line commitment is an interesting comparison due to his development and play style being fairly advanced. But he reminds me a lot of a former Dallas area star, Coppell’s Solomon Thomas.

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